The present invention relates to an automatic information receiving terminal device for use in a character/graphic information network system which utilizes a videotex communication network or the like, and more particularly to an automatic information receiving terminal device for use in a character/graphic information network system which can provide users or subscribers with necessary information through a videotex communication network having an information center that includes a data base accessible by the subscribers through a public communication network (telephone network), the automatic information receiving terminal device having a clock means and a time setting means, the arrangement being such that the automatic information receiving terminal device can automatically be started under the control of the clock means and the time setting means, thereafter automatically receive desired information from the information center, and display the received information in a predetermined sequence or produce speech signals based on the received information.
In order to meet more sophisticated and diverse social needs based on the recent rapid progress of electronic technology, much attention is being paid to visual image communications having a variety of functional features. As one of such visual image communication systems, a character/graphic information network system such as a videotex system or the like provides an information retrieval service by which the data base of an information center can be accessed through a communication network from a user's terminal including a display unit so that a vast amount of information stored in the data base can easily be utilized by the user. Incorporating the advanced computerized image processing capability which enables images to be updated easily, the character/graphic information network system can even provide an information updating service for giving real-time updated meteorological information such as a rainfall intensity, a water level, etc. Providing the users with such real-time updated meteorological information is highly vauable among other information retrieval services. It is expected that such meteorological information will be requested highly frequently especially when a large storm such as a typhoon or hurricane is about to come.
In some countries such as Japan, storms and floods tend to result in disasters since the rivers are relatively short and since there are many mountainous landscapes, as well as since Japan is geographically located such that it is usually hit by many tropical cyclones. In order to safeguard against calamities from storms and floods, it is increasingly important in such countries to provide a quick service of giving detailed information relative to the basins of rivers. The character/graphic information network system such as a videotex information system, as described above, has started to provide quick information on rivers for the purpose of protecting people from natural disasters.
It is also very important in other countries such as the United States of America, Canada, etc. to provide quick information regarding river basins in terms of rainfall depths or the like so that unwanted disasters can be prevented from happening.
Generally, the present character/graphic information network systems include information receiving systems, described below, for a user to receive a plurality of information images from the information center. According to one receiving system, the user enters a number (e.g., a 9-digit number) corresponding to a desired image (hereinafter referred to as an "image number") through the keyboard of his terminal, which sends the image number to the information center to get desired image information. According to another receiving system. many menus are received by the terminal, and a desired item of image information is selected from a range of items of image information which are successively displayed on the display unit. The former direct retrieval system is disadvantageous in that the user has to either memorize the image number corresponding to the desired image information or find the image number from an index table. The problems with the latter indirect retrieval system are that the terminal has to communicate with the information center each time a menu is to be called resulting in a time-consuming process, and the time needed to display the menus is long since they are successively displayed on the display unit at the terminal.
The above disadvantages of the conventional information receiving systems may cause serious problems especially in emergencies. More specifically, when a warning to take refuge from a heavy rainfall or a flood is issued or when there is an impending danger of a river overflowing in its banks, if the information center is occupied by one terminal for a long period of time, then it cannot be accessed by the other terminals for meteorological and hydrological information. This is problematic because necessary information should quickly be sent to as many user's terminals as possible in case of emergency. Should the meteorological and hydrological information be delayed due to the limitations of the prior information receiving systems, available countermeasures against a possible disaster such as a flood can also be delayed, and as a result such a disaster may not be avoided.
It is preferable that various warnings and information on rivers be timely received and given to the public. It is therefore desirable that information receiving terminals for receiving and displaying information images be positioned in public places such as the lobbies of government office buildings, hotels, banks, and other public buildings, department stores, and open spaces such as those before railroad stations.
Since the direct and indirect retrieval systems, referred to above, require terminals to be manually operated by the users who want to be serviced, they are not convenient for use in public places and are also not suitable for giving image information to many people simultaneously.